Missed chance
by Doomblade
Summary: you just knew their story couldnt have a happy ending right? T for language


**Okay, first things first id like to give a shout out to GEARSgirl5400 for writing an excelent Sam-Barid story, as that was my inspiration for this. Im a huge gears of war fan, so i tried to do the series justice here. Please and enjoy and let me know if you enjoyed it**

Damon Baird walked along the empty beach of Azura, the white moonlight glaring down on him. He stared at the sand, his mind going about a hundred miles an hour. Everything that had happened over the last few months seemed surreal to him. He turned his head to the calm waters, half expecting lambent stalks to erupt, signaling another battle. But it wouldn't happen. the lambent are dead. And as far as anyone else knew, so were the locust. "Ah, good riddance to 'em. One more species humans have wiped off the damn map."

But that wasn't what bothered him Azura was to be converted into a C.O.G base. It had been 4 months since the death of Adam fenix, and already, the world was starting to make its own problems again. Delta team was stationed on Azura-out of respect for Marcus? Baird couldn't say, but he didn't complain too often. Warm weather, decent home-grown food, and (for now anyway) calm patrols. No, all of that he could handle. What he couldn't handle was this feeling of dread he had going on. He hated thinking it, but couldn't stop.

"Damn immulsion. No wonder rebellions are cropping up everywhere. No fuel, no civilization, as Hoffman so often said back then." he said sitting on one of the cool stones letting his boots rest in the shallow water. News from the mainland wasn't good. The rebel stranded controlled Hanover and were making a play for Pomeroy next. and thats where the dread creeps in. Baird didn't want to battle large armies again. After losing Dom, Baird said to Cole he never wanted to see his friends die again. Marcus, Anya, Dizzy, Cole of course, Clayton, Jaice...Sam. he smiled, something he found himself doing quiter often whenever Sam entered his mind-which was often.

"figures my brain comes to her last." Baird said, laughing softly as the waves crashed lightly against the beach. _"the genius of Delta team huh? Can't even tell a girl how you feel about her. Ain't that the most ass-backwards thing in the world?", _his concious said, earning a soft growl. Not like he could deny that point. Much as he hated to admit it, there was definitely something there with Sam.

_"look, block head, if your ever planning on telling her, you might want to just come out and say it. Women don't like to kept hanging on this stuff you know that right?" _his concious piped up again. why did'nt this thing come with an off switch? _"I heard that you know." _it said. Baird smirked, "That was the point." he said standing up. "I've beaten myself up enough for tonight i guess" he said stretching. he turned around and left, his mind agian going to Sam and again he found himself smirking the whole way back to his bed and to sleep.

**The next morning**

"Baird, if you don't get your lazy ass up right now, im getting Cole to sit on you again!" Sam's voice roused Baird from his heavy sleep. Looking at his clock, he sighed in frustration 6:30 in the fucking morning? First patrol wasn't till noon. None the less, he stood on, grateful he slept in his uniform pants and boots. Sliding on his chest plate armor and goggles, he opened the door. Sam was leaning against the wall, an amused look on her face. "Baird you look like someone took your wrench again. You got something on your mind?" she said.

_"Yeah, you. Your always on my mind"_ his thoguths said. But of course what came out was, "Bite me. You try sleeping with the human snore machine" which earned an laugh from her at least. She knew how he was in the early mornings sometimes. "Anyway, my charming company aside, why are you waking me up this early, and why should i give a damn?" he said as they walked down the hall.

"Firstly, Baird, your lucky i even woke you up. Marcus said to just let you sleep past this and have Hoffman on your ass. Second..." she trailed off at that moment. Baird Stopped and looked at her. "...we are getting re-deployed. Today." she finished.

Baird felt as though his stomach had been nailed with a boomshot. That slightly sick feeling now had him wanting to vomit. Images of Dom blowing up, Ben Cramine dying inside the riftworm, everything was rushing back. He leaned against the wall. "Why? i thought Hoffman was pushing to have us put on defense squad only. No more frontline shit." he said, trying to keep his stomch contents where they belonged. Vomiting in front of the girl you like wasn't exactly sending the right message of "nothing bothers me" he tried to send.

"this didn't come from Hoffman Baird. Straght from the new coalition figureheads in New Jacinto. were supposed to clear Hanover of all stranded rebels, or something. I don;t really know all the details. All i know is we leave on 30 minutes. Baird, you sure your okay?" she said placing a hand on his shoulder. Baird tried to manga his normal cocky grin, but she could tell it was forced.

"Im doing fine. Ready to go kick some stranded ass." he said, winking at her, and heading to gear up. Sam was grateful for that, given the blush that creeped into her face when Baird winked her way. She shook it off and headed to the room she shared with Anya. When she entered, Anya had just finished changing into her armor. They exchanged plesantries and Sam sat on her bunk.

"you have another run-in with Baird?" Anya asked laughing when Sam turned redder than before. "Sam, if you expect me to by you dont love the guy, you need to work on hiding it better." she said. Sam didn't say anything, so Anya left, leaving Sam to her thoughts.

**"**Do i love Baird? Am i really in love with that asshole?" she said. staring at the wall. It was a fair question to ask herself, given everything they had been through. They all the time were trading insults back and forth, but neither really took it seriously. Then again, even if she did feel this way-which she didn't really believe fully-like he would even feel the same way about her, He was too cool for that, or so he always made a point to say. She shook her head. No. she didn't love him. she didn't. _"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."_ her mind said

**Hangar room**

Hoffman had all of Delta team gathered around him, a king raven outfitted for travel. "Delta, i won't lie. I don't like sending you out there. You all have been through enough hell, and i didn't want you to have to deal with anymore shit than you already have. But, i dont get the final say so. Command does. Hanover has gone to hell, and they want you to assist with bringing it out from there.

"Shit, baby, the cole train can't wait to get some more action! I'm ready to kick some ass!" Cole barked, earning a laugh from the team, including an amused smirk from Marcus, even Hoffman let out a chuckle. Delta was dismissed to get on board the raven. Baird lent down to grab his lancer and when he looked up, he locked eyes with Sam. Both of them looked away quickly, avoiding it happening again.

As the Raven soared through the skies, Baird stared out over the ocean, watching Azura fade into the background. "So much for peace and quiet eh, Carmine?" he asked his friend softly. Carmine patted his shoudler, but said nothing. He didn't have anything to add.

"Were over Hanover now Delta. Looks like the assaults already underway." the piolit said pointing to the ground. Oh, it indeed was. rockets were flying everywhere, and lancer and hammerburst fire was flying so much, it resembled the locust war a little too much.

"Alright Delta, grappling hooks away. Our orders are to take the town square and capture the leader of these idiots. Let's move out!" Marcus said, sliding down the cable, the others quickly followed him. Hammerburst fire immediately whizzed around their heads as they took a position baehind a slab of rock. They weren't far from the gate, but they were pinned down pretty bad from the top of the walls.

"Ah! Dammit all!" Baird said, clutching his hand, which had a hammerburst round in it. Sam glanced over worriedly but went back to the fight when Anya went over to patch Bairds hand up. "Thanks Anya. Im going to kill that asshole." Baird growled grabbing his lancer.

"Look over there!" Carmine said, pointing to a gear sniper team firing on the guards on the wall. Once the hammerburst turret gunner was taken out, Marcus gave the signal to run for the front gate, along with all the other attacking gears, making the push for the town.

"Look, their falling back. Stupid cowards." Sam said surprised that the stranded gave up so easily once their gun position was taken out.

"Don't be so confident yet, Sam. This was alomst too easy." Carmine said as they entered the gate. Cole let out some type of gasp mixed with a growl. The buildings of Hanover were spray-painted in anti-gear slogans with red paint. Now, Cole was pissed.

"These stranded assholes! Cole train is going to introduce their leader to his foot up his ass!" he yellled, revving his chainsaw. several of the gears that were passing Delta into the city stared zt them untill Marcus glared at them. "Sorry, Marcus. Lost my head." Cole said.

"No problem Cole." Marcus said. They began to hear eruptions from the center of town toward the stadium and the square. Clearly, the stranded just wanted the gears in a confined space to make the fighting easier. "Lets pick it up Delta!" Marcus said, running toward it.

they got to the center of town and found that it was pretty empty. All the fighting seemed to be focused on the stadium. Marcus turned to the team. "Here's what's going to happen. We know the leaders there." he said pointing to city hall. "we purposely focused our attacks on the stadium because we knew there were the most stranded gathered there. Let's move quick while their distracted."

they broke down the door and the lobby was deserted as well. "They must've re-routed their people to the stadium. Makes this even easier." Marcus said. "Okay, were going to fan out and find this guy. Anya and me will go check the west wing. Sam and Baird, you guys take the upstairs, and Cole and Carmine will-" he stopped when he saw only Carmine standing there. "Where's Cole?" Marcus said.

"He whispered something about "defending his turf" and ran toward the fighting." Carmine said shrugging. Marcus sighed rubbing his temples. Cole would definitely hear about this mess later. "Easy Marcus, i can search the west wing myself." he said heading that way.

"Fine, whatever. Fan out Delta, and report if you find anything." Marcus said as he and Anya walked through one of the double doors.

"Marcus, you notice something weird with Baird? He didn't make one sarcastic comment the whole ride here or anytime walking here." Anya said. Marcus shrugged and kicked open a smaller door saw it was empty and continued down the hall. "It doesn't bother you?"

"Anya, i look at it like this. as many times as Baird has bugged us over the years? Any break from his sarcasam is a good one." he said.

**Upstairs**

Sam couldn't stand this quiet. Obviously, something was up with Baird. But she was so confused about how she felt about of him, she didn't have a way to break it without making an idiot out of herself. "Sam, are you even capable of speech anymore?" Baird said.

Sam smirked when she heard that. "Yeah, Baird, im capable of talking, whenever you say something intelligent that is" she said. Baird didn't answer back. "What, your going to start an argument and not finish it?" she asked. Baird remained silent. "Okay, Baird what is wrong with you? And don't say anything, just answer me." she said, stepping in front of him. He sighed heavily.

"Okay. I'm not really good at this kind of thing, so bear with me. I know you think im an asshole who doesn't care about anyone but himself. I don't care what happens to anyone as long as i'm fine. But...over the past couple of years, i've found that i care about what happens to this team. Ever since since Dom..." he trailed away. Sam lowered her gaze for a second as Dom's death still weighed on everyone. "that's why i was so upset with being sent to fight again. i didn't want anyone else i know to die." he said.

"Baird, we're all fine. The only person who got hurt was you genius." She said, indicating his bandaged hand, still bleeding.

"I know, but Hanover isn't the only town we have to take back. Look i don't want to bury another person i care about. Especially you Sam." he said. This is the part he would have some trouble saying. "your important to me, and i normally don't let myself get so worked up over a woman, but it is what it is. You get the point i guess. Your smart, one of the things i love about you." he said.

Sam was at a loss for words. Baird was right, she did understand what he was trying ot say. Baird loved her. she stood there, trying to form a solid sentence. What Anya said back at Azura stuck out. _"If you expect me to buy you don't love the guy, you need to work on hiding it better." _Sam thought Baird didn't feel the same, so she let that idea drop, but now she knew he did. Baird sighed.

"i knew i shouldn't have bothered." he said, sliding past her. He had taken her silence as a rejection. Sam turned around. "It's fine Sam. wev'e got a job to do. Let's just go." he said, kicking one of the doors open. Sam tried to talk again, but Baird wasn't listening. He was staring at a balding, rag-wearing stranded sitting behind a desk. "your the big man in charge im guessing?" Baird said queitly.

"That i am. For now anyway. My illness is about to take me, but i assume you here to capture me. Unfortunately, taking me hostage won't end the rebellion. There are a lot of my people in the other towns who will rise up. But...we seem to have an issue. Even though im a dying man, i have no intention of rotting in a cell.." he said, an evil gleam entering his eye that Sam couldn't stand.

"Look, were not really giving you an option. We have orders, now just get up." Baird said hitting his comlink. "Marcus, we've got him. Upper floor, door 3." he said. Marcus acknowlaged and Barid held out a pair of cuffs. The man laughed bitterly.

"I told you-im not going to Azura. And neither are either of you." he said, producing a switch with a red button on top. He clicked it, and Baird heard a hum under the mans desk. His eyes went wide. He shoved Sam out of the door and shut it behind him. Sam stood up fast.

"Baird, what are you doing?" she yelled. The humming got louder and louder, but she heard Baird say something before it happened.

"Sorry, Sam." he said. Then it happened. The force of the explosion forced Sam into the wall behind her, slamming her head into the wall. Her ears were ringing, but she managed to stand up. the metal door had bent off it's hinges, so she was able to throw it off easily. The room was scorched black, mostly at the desk. Baird was laid out at her feet., groaning in pain, so he was alive-for now.

"Baird! Baird can you hear me?" she said, turning him over, she let out a gasp. A fragment of the wood from the desk had stuck into his ribs. They were still wearing thier summer uniforms, so the chest armor was thinner, add that to the force, and it was probably easier for it to happen. His skin also had severe burns on his face and arms. He smiled at her, how she had no idea, but he still did.

"Im..Fine. Are you...hurt?" he asked. Sam looked at him like he was crazy, Earning a coughing fit that might have been a laugh attempt.

"Sam! Are you guys-" Marcus and the others rounded the corner and saw them there. Anya lent down, examining him closely.

"This isn't good. His left lung is punctured. It's filling up with blood. I can't fix this kind of injury here. Sam placed her hand on Bairds face.

"Glad to see my good looks...are still there." he joked. Anya, perhaps as a reflex, let out a soft laugh. Sam felt her eyes watering now. "Sam, are you crying?" Baird asked her, placing his hand over the one she had on his face. Sam shook her head.

"Baird, why would you do that? Look at what you did to yourself." she said. Her voice was strained as she tried to control herself.

"I thought i ...already told you...out there." he said, each word had to be a stuggle, but he still wouldn't let it show, if he could help it. "I don't want to...bury someone i care about." he said, blood trickling down from the corner of his mouth. Sam didn't try to hide it anymore. She let the tears run down her face. Why did this have to happen? This wasn't fair. She never even gave him an answer.

_"oh, come on, Sam. If you didn't love him back, would you be here, so terrified to lose him?"_ her mind said. She realized it was right. She did feel the same way. She was fooling herself all this time, and now it seemed it was too late. Baird let out a rattling breath, Anya shook her head, standing up. "Anya, can't you help him at all?" she asked, almost begged even. Anya shook her head again.

"It's okay Sam." Baird whispered. Sam leant down, because his speech had gotten too quiet to hear otherwise. "Even though you don't feel the same, i want you to know this-I love you." he said. Sam let out a choked sob that caught in her throat.

"No. Your wrong Damon. I do, okay? I'm sorry i didn't act on this sooner, but i do. I love you too." she said. Baird, in spite of his state of pain, smiled wider than Sam had seen in recent memory. Sam lent down and pressed her lips to his. Obviously, he couldn't kiss her back, but she felt like she had to prove it to him, to make up for never telling him before. Baird had some tears in his eyes too now.

"That's what i wanted to hear before i went. Guess it's time for me to go. Hey, Carmine, tell Cole he won't owe me twenty bucks anymore." he said. Carmine nodded, only because he knew if he talked, he would lose his composure, and that wouldn't help.

"Baird, you can't leave me. You can't. Please." Sam whispered. She didn't even recognize her voice anymore, but she didn't care. Baird's eyes were glassed over now, the shine had all but left them. Sam knew he would stay if he could. It wasn't his choice.

"I'm sorry. Sam, please take care of yourself. I'll say hi to Dom for you." he said. His hand dropped from Sam's and his eyes shut. He didn't open them again. Sam shook him, trying to get him to respond. She palced her ear to his chest. No breathing, no heartbeat.

"Guy's...let's give her a minute okay?" Marcus said, guiding them out of the room into the hall. Sam kept her head on Bairds chest, sobbing heavily. This wasn't fair. This just wasn't. She hated these stranded, she hated the C.O.G for sending them out here, she was so hurt and angry. She stood up and stared at Barids face one last time, wishing again he would open his eyes and say "just kidding". But he didn't. She left the room, not even glancing at the others. She didn't know where to go from here. She just didn't.

**Epilouge, 2 weeks later**

Sam stared at the gravestone , running her hand over the name etched on it. "So weird to see your name on here Baird. Always thought we'd lose Marcus next. Not that i hope that happens you know. Anya would be a bigger wreck than i was. Everyone is doing fine you know. Carmine and Cole took over your job as mechanic, Anya and Marcus Finally stopped fighting it, and they've been dating for about a week now." She said. Even though Baird couldn't answer back, she knew he would've gotten a laugh out of that. He always did.

"They gave me your tags you know. But it doesn't feel right having two sets. So, i came out here to fix that." she said. She unhooked her tags and Bairds. she slid one of Bairds on her chain, and one of hers onto Bairds. Now each set of tags had one of each. She laced hers back over her head, and placed the other set on the grave stone. "I gotta go, Baird. We're assaulting the final outpost today. We have to end this today. I'll let you know how it goes." she said, heading back down to the base. Baird chuckled from his hiding spot.

"Why didn't you go over and see her" Dom asked from beside him.

"Come on, Dom. After everything, seeing a ghost is the last thing the girl needs. i just wanted to see if she was okay." he said as he and Dom began to fade away from the hillside as the sun began to set. "And i'll keep checking." he said right as he vanished completely.


End file.
